Best Tennessee Online Sportsbooks And Apps
If you're wondering whether online sports betting is legal in Tennessee, the answer is YES. Sports betting in Tennessee is legal and has been since July 2019, when the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act became effective.
Interestingly, Tennessee is one of the few states that legalized sports betting without having any retail casinos. As a result, sports betting in the Volunteer State works on an online-only business model.
By deciding to launch only online sports betting, Tennessee opened its doors for big online brands such as FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM, who were allowed to start offering its services without partnering with any retail casinos.
Having no options to bet at a retail location might sound like a negative; however, with a vast selection of online sportsbooks, Tennessee bettors are not deprived of an excellent sports betting experience. In fact, since there is only online sports betting available, the added competition between the online operators led to better promotions and bonuses, further improving it.
All in all, Tennessee has done things a bit differently to other sports betting states, but the state has done an excellent job helping its betting market grow – far exceeding the initial expectations.
Best Online Tennessee Sportsbooks
Tennessee is home to many excellent online sportsbooks, including (but not limited to) some of the biggest names in the U.S. betting industry in DraftKings, Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, and FanDuel. While there are plenty of great sports betting providers for Tennessee bettors to choose from, these four are easily the best Tennessee online sportsbooks.
Top TN Sportsbooks
1. BetMGM
New Player Bonus: Up to $1,000 Risk Free Bet
Promo Code: PICKWATCHPRO
Claim this offer >>
2. Draftkings
New Player bonus: Bet $1 and Get $100 in Free Bets
Claim this offer >>
3. FanDuel
New Player bonus: Risk Free Bet up to $1,000
Claim this offer >>
DraftKings
DraftKings was one of the first sportsbooks to launch in Tennessee with its mobile betting app, quickly gaining a large following of sports bettors. DraftKings is one of the top overall sports betting providers in the United States, largely thanks to its vast selection of betting markets and competitive betting odds.
As the official partner of Nashville Predators, DraftKings truly belongs amongst the elite online sports betting sites and is home to many Tennessee bettors. DraftKings is particularly attractive for NHL bettors in the state due to providing special bonuses and promotions whenever the Predators play.
However, the NHL is by no means the only league you can bet on at DraftKings. The site is known for offering lines on any sport imaginable, so if you want to bet on NBA, MLB, NFL, or even a second-division Peruvian soccer league, you can do that!
While DraftKings’ market selection and odds are excellent features, the site is mostly known for its mobile app, which is the highest-rated sports betting app in the United States. All in all, DraftKings offers everything you would ever want in a Tennessee sportsbook.
Caesars Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook originally launched in Tennessee in March 2021 as William Hill, but the sportsbook has since undergone a name change after Caesars purchased William Hill a month later. Deciding to partner with one of the world's most recognizable betting brands proved to be the right call for Caesars Sportsbook, which rose to the top of the U.S. online sports betting food chain.
Caesars Sportsbook deserves respect simply because it's operated by one of the most well-known names in the industry. But there's more to like about this online sportsbook.
It trumps most of the competition in the industry when it comes to bonuses and promotions, while Caesars also offers a loyalty program, which awards you with anything from free bets to other goodies that you can receive when visiting one of its casinos.
Beyond that, the online sportsbook has a very rich selection of betting markets, surprisingly good odds, and exceptional NFL promotions since it's the official sports betting partner of the NFL as a whole. The deal came with exclusive analytics and data, meaning that Caesars Sportsbook Tennessee is a must-have for any NFL bettor.
BetMGM
BetMGM's goal is nothing less than to become the number 1 online sportsbook in the United States, and so far, it has done an excellent job to reach that status. While it might not boast as many users as FanDuel, the betting experience it offers is nothing short of elite level.
As one of the most recognizable sports betting brands in the industry, MGM has had a rough start to its journey into the world, particularly due to the lack of quality of its initial betting app. But the company learned from its mistakes and produced a new mobile betting product that has not only improved but emerged as one of the best in the business.
The BetMGM app's biggest advantage is its ease of use, speed, and stability, providing any mobile sports bettor with exactly what he would want from a mobile betting app. The features are all there, and the excellent layout makes it easy to find what you want to bet on.
Beyond that, BetMGM's marked offer and quality of the odds are some of the best in the betting industry, which also explains why it's one of the most popular sportsbooks amongst Tennessee bettors.
BetMGM welcomes new players with a generous welcome bonus, which includes a $1000 risk-free bet, and that is only the tip of the iceberg of the sportsbooks' promotions and bonuses.
FanDuel
With the launch of FanDuel in Tennessee, the Volunteer State acquired one of America's most popular and biggest betting brands. And if we were to say that FanDuel is the biggest name in the U.S. sports betting industry, it wouldn't be too far from the truth.
FanDuel launched its sports betting app in Tennessee in November 2020 but has previously already been offering Daily Fantasy Sports. While that has helped it gain recognition amongst sports bettors, FanDuel hardly needed any advantage to emerge as one of Tennessee's top sportsbooks.
FanDuel Sportsbooks is mostly known for its excellent platform, with some of the best user interface functionality and presentation in the betting industry. Besides that, FanDuel also offers some unique features that help it stand out from the rest, namely Same Game Parlay, which, as the name would suggest, allows you to combine multiple pro bets on the same game.
That, however, is just one of the excellent features found on FanDuel, and we can't forget to mention the quality of the betting odds either. And those get even better with FanDuel's odds boost, which will increase the price by up to +100.
Like other Tennessee online sportsbooks, FanDuel is partnered with a professional team. But unlike DraftKings, which is partnered with Nashville Predators, FanDuel has partnered with the Memphis Grizzlies, making it the number one sportsbook for NBA betting.
Popular Sports In Tennessee
Football is by far the most popular sport in Tennessee amongst fans and sports bettors alike. And it doesn't take a lot to understand why.
Tennessee is the home of Tennessee Titans, an NFL franchise, which is currently enjoying one of the most impressive runs in the team's history, reaching the NFL playoffs in 2017, 2019, and 2020. What's more, the Titans have had five consecutive winning seasons since 2016.
Formerly known as the Houston Oilers, the team relocated to Tennessee in 1997 and has since emerged as one of the state's most popular teams.
Besides the Titans, Tennessee is also the home to Nashville Predators and the Memphis Grizzlies. Like the Titans, Grizzlies moved from another city to establish a franchise in the Volunteer State. Since relocating to Memphis, the Grizzlies have made ten playoffs appearances, which includes an appearance in the Western Conference finals in 2012/13.
As home to three highly successful teams, football, basketball, and hockey are some of the most popular sports in Tennessee; however, Tennessee bettors wager on more than just the NFL, NBA, and the NHL.
The University of Tennessee is one of the most storied college football programs to date, having claimed six national championships and 13 Southeastern Conference titles. Tennessee Volunteers claimed their last championship in 1998 and made five bowl appearances, most recently in 2019.
The Tennessee college basketball team, Memphis Tigers, have also enjoyed plenty of success over the years and made it to the Final Four in 2008, running to the championship game, where they lost to Kansas.
Evidently, college sports are also massive in the state. What's more, Tennessee does not have any restrictions on college betting – except for in-play prop betting.
Betting Options In Tennessee Sportsbooks
Tennessee is a mobile-focused and exclusively online betting marker with no physical sportsbooks. The state's betting setup is different from what many states have passed and, in some way, quite the opposite, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad strategy.
That said, Tennessee has imposed a mandatory 10% hold, meaning that the bettors need to pay more juice on every bet that they would at an offshore sportsbook. And that is a problem since it forces bettors to look for illegal betting options in a bid to increase their profits.
On a more positive note, the state officials have reserved the right to revisit the rules, meaning the betting options could become more user-friendly in the future – but there are no guarantees.
The 10% hold is definitely a negative about Tennessee online sports betting; however, the market is thriving. With a large selection of online sportsbooks, bettors will have no issue finding games to bet on and enjoy some of the best offers in the industry.
Most of the top sportsbooks in the state pride themselves on very competitive odds and exceptional market depth. Tennessee has all the areas covered as far as the basics of an excellent betting market are concerned.
Legislation For Online Sports Betting on Tennessee
Sports betting in Tennessee has been illegal for quite some time, until late 2018, when Rep Rick Staples started the legalization process by putting forward bill H1. Although it took longer than expected, the overall path of sports betting legalization in Tennessee was relatively smooth without any significant hiccups.
The H1 bill enjoyed a smooth passage through the state House with 58-37 and the Tennessee Senate, which it passed with 20-12. Then it had to endure a lengthy floor debate before landing on the governor's desk.
The bill went into law in May 2019 without the signature of Governor Bill Lee, who objected to any further expansions of gambling in Tennessee and has only allowed it to go into law because of the online-only model. As a result, the state does not host any land-based casinos.
The Tennessee Sports Gaming Act allowed multiple sports betting operators to enter the state, but as an online-only sportsbook. Furthermore, it introduced some highly unappealing rules, including a 20% tax on gaming revenue and a 10% hold.
While the legalization process of betting in Tennessee happened smoothly, there were many delays with the actual launch operations.The Educational Lottery in Tennessee unveiled several different launch dates for regulated sports betting, but in November 2020, online sports betting finally went live.
Tennessee Sports Betting Timeline
April 2019 – The sports betting bill passes the Senate, Committee, and the state House with a 58-37 margin. The Senate votes in favor of legal sports betting with 20-12.
May 2019 – Governor Lee did not sign the bill but decided against vetoing the Sports Gaming Act, allowing the legalization of sports betting in Tennessee.
July 2019 – Sports betting operators are able to launch in Tennessee on July 1, but only as online-only enterprises, without needing to strike an agreement with a physical casino.
November 2020 – Tennessee online sports betting launches, starting with four sportsbooks in DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Tennessee Action 24/7.
March 2021 – TwinSpires and Caesars Sportsbook join Tennessee.
April 2021 – WynnBET joins the Tennessee betting market.
September 2021 – Barstool Sportsbook launches in the state.
What to Consider When Shopping For The Best Tennessee Online Sportsbooks and Apps
The 10% hold applies to all legal Tennessee sportsbooks, so you won't be able to avoid it no matter how hard you try. However, while that is an obvious handicap to any Tennessee bettor, there are ways of making your betting experience better – by picking the best sportsbooks for you.
The first thing you need to consider when shopping for the best Tennessee online sportsbook is the quality of the odds. Most top brands will have fairly similar odds; however, there will be some noticeable differences for some games and sports.
If you're a bettor that bets on several different sports, it makes the most sense for you to create an account with several sportsbooks and price shop; however, if you bet on only basketball, it's wise to find a sportsbook that is known for great odds on basketball games.
The second thing is the market depth. Most sportsbooks pride themselves on offering a large selection of betting markets, and while you won't be disappointed no matter which one you choose, some betting operators have a far larger market depth and offer more odds than others.
These sportsbooks are your best bet since you never want to find yourself betting on a site that limits you in your betting options. Learn more about College Football Picks with the NFLPickwatch learning materials.
Mobile bettors should also heavily consider picking a sportsbook with a high-rated mobile betting app. Admittedly, the quality of apps has improved over the years, and there are very few apps that can be considered terrible, but if you're exclusively a mobile bettor, you should never settle for anything but the best.
A great mobile betting app should be stable, reliable, fast, and have all the features found on the desktop app. So if you find one that checks all these marks, you're set.
Besides the aforementioned factors that you should keep an eye on when picking a sportsbook and a mobile betting app, bonuses and promotions are also something to consider. While not as important as the odds' quality and the available markets' depth, bonuses and promotions will add a bit more value to your betting experience.
Conclusion
Sports betting in Tennessee is legal, and while the lawmakers have only legalized online and mobile sports betting, the industry is thriving. That is largely thanks to big-name players who entered the Tennessee betting market as soon as it was possible, providing the residents with one of the best selections of online sports betting apps.
To see Tennessee's sports betting market grow as quickly as it did makes perfect sense since sports are a big deal in the state. Tennessee is home to Tennessee Titans, Memphis Grizzlies, and Nashville Predators, so you can be sure there will be plenty of bets placed whenever any of the three teams play.
Beyond that, most sportsbooks are partnered with the franchises, which is just an added bonus for the Tennessee bettors, who get to take full advantage of special promotions and bonuses the bookies offer on the games involving their partnered team.
The Tennessee sports betting market stands out as a unique case in the U.S. since it allows sports betting operators to compete despite having no land-based casinos.
But that hasn't stopped the market from growing, with the Tennessee Education Lottery reporting $131.4 million in betting handle in the first month. In January 2021, Tennessee wrote when it surpassed $200 million in betting handle faster than any other state.
Admittedly, Tennessee is not the largest sports betting state in the country, but that mostly has to do with its population rather than the quality of the betting experience it provides. While 20% tax on gaming revenue and a 10% hold aren't appealing, Tennessee provides you with everything a sports bettor would need.
